Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul announced Friday he will be on ballots in November 2016, but he told voters in his home state that they might be the only ones with a chance to vote for him.

The freshman Republican senator was returning to Kentucky from visits to a trio of states that hold sway in the presidential nominating process, visits which further stoked the speculation about his presidential interests. He indicated his intention to be on the ballot for re-election that year, but downplayed any White House ambitions.

"For now, (what) we know for sure is we're going to run for the U.S. Senate," he said, according to a report from The Independent. "The other decision can come later."

Paul posted online a link to a separate report on his appearance at the Woodford County Republican Dinner, one which did not include the quote. Both articles noted state law allows him to run simultaneously for the White House and re-election to his Senate seat.

Earlier this week he spoke at a GOP fundraising dinner in New Hampshire and before that appeared at events in Iowa and South Carolina.

He has been upfront with his interest in potentially running for the White House, but at the dinner in New Hampshire focused his attention on the party.

I certainly hope so. I guess one positive to take away from the last election is that watered-down conservatives did poorly and there were some true conservatives that won some key local races. Let’s hope that the lessons have been learned for 2014 and 2016.

The first four would present themselves as conservative, whether or not they are. But again, we have a possible field that would split conservative votes and allow blue state Republican primary voters to pick our candidate.

Conservatives and non-RINOs need to settle on one or two conservative candidates before the primaries, or we’ll have another RINO.

Newt said that all illegals should go home and then be issued ‘blue cards’ upon their return. In between they can be fingerprinted and not allowed to vote. Check and see if those fingerprints show up at a crime scene. Furthermore a draft board-like panel of local citizens should interview each and every one. That would and should be the starting point. Anything less would be kow towing to the left.

21
posted on 05/25/2013 10:48:38 AM PDT
by DIRTYSECRET
(urope. Why do they put up with this.)

You failed to mention that probably NO ONE could stand up to Cruz in a debate. He is that damn sharp.

No offense, but there are a number of FReepers who could, the only problem being that we'd likely end up agreeing. :-) OTOH, Sarah Palin has (to my mind) done little to correct what is quite evidently a deficient education.

25
posted on 05/25/2013 11:02:25 AM PDT
by Carry_Okie
(An economy is not a zero-sum game, but politics usually is.)

PPP's monthly look at the 2016 Republican field for President finds essentially a 4 way tie at the top- Marco Rubio has 16%, Jeb Bush and Chris Christie 15% each, and Rand Paul 14%. Paul Ryan at 9%, Ted Cruz at 7%, Rick Santorum at 5%, Bobby Jindal at 3%, and Susana Martinez at 1% round out the potential candidates we tested.

The only way the GOP will ever manage to sway me back into the fold is via Palin, Cruz, or someone strongly in that clean-government, reformer vein... someone who would be willing to actually tackle the whole corrupt system, the “professional political class,” the money-drenched nexus of government-media-big business. The whole repellent cesspool. Someone that will give Karl Rove and the scumbag GOP-E nightmares.

Only knock on Rand is immigration but he will come around before the primaries. Rand will coalition build with libertarian/constitutionalist conservatives, social conservatives and fiscal conservatives. In other words, he can bring the oalition that Reagan brought together in 1980.

If we are able to confirm Obama was foreign-born...and he is not removed by Congress or the courts...they could not do same to Cruz...legal precedent would have been set with Obama. Cruz could become President

Not only Rand will have problems with his pro-Amnesty stand....a lot of his supporters were also his Dad’s supporters...and they are PO’d with Rand for supporting Romney before his Dad dropped out of the ‘12 race.

The GOP will have to run a conservative in the primary to keep that seat....Rand will not get the support like he did his last run

I do not support amnesty, I support legal immigration and recognize that the country has been enriched by those who seek the freedom to make a life for themselves. However, millions of illegal immigrants are crossing our border without our knowledge and causing a clear threat to our national security. I want to work in the Senate to secure our border immediately. In addition, I support the creation of a border fence and increased border patrol capabilities.

Immigrants should meet the current requirements, which should be enforced and updated. I realize that subsidizing something creates more of it, and do not think the taxpayer should be forced to pay for welfare, medical care and other expenses for illegal immigrants. Once the subsidies for illegal immigration are removed, the problem will likely become far less common.

I support local solutions to illegal immigration as protected by the 10th amendment. I support making English the official language of all documents and contracts.

Millions crossing our border without our knowledge constitutes a clear threat to our nation's security. Instead of closing military bases at home and renting space in Europe, I am open to the construction of bases to protect our border.

Thanks for noticing! I think he is not. That said, I don’t think our side will care so much though and will be willing to overlook his ineligibility using Obama as example. I don’t think this is the right way but whatever. I don’t believe that winning anything is so important that the rules should be sloughed off, even if the other side has already done it. Just my two cents.

Anyway, I predict that we will only get Rand or Cruz, not both, they are Texas Wackobird friends after all :)
I think if Cruz is it, Rand will support him right from the start and vice versa. With the current batch of GOP hopefuls we have right now, only Rand or Cruz cuts the mustard.

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